'Breastfeeding is disgusting'

[startwig1982]

Two people I know, one a friend and the other more of an acquaintance, were having this conversation this evening.
Basically the friend said she was uncomfortable seeing mothers breastfeeding and later said to me, either do it in the toilet or use a bottle.
The acquaintance went as far as saying it's the same as someone 'doing a shit in the middle of the restaurant'! She was so provocative and rude and when I said that I feed my dd out and about and you can't see anything, she said it's disgusting and she would have to say something.
So here's the AIBU: we are all performing at an event in about 3/4 weeks. Wibu to ask my DH to bring my dd to the rehearsal so I can sit and provoke openly feed her? I'm so enraged by their conversation that I feel the need to change at least my friend's mind.

Ugly. You obviously have issues if it bothers you this much. Quite frankly, You should be ashamed of yourself. Why don't you go out with a blanket on your head? Unless you are prepared to eat and drink whilst covering your head and never wear a bathing suit, you are a massive hypocrite. HTH

I'd much rather see a breastfeeding baby in a restaurant that the foul manners that I've witness from my fellow diners. (Not my own family or friends, I hasten to add!)

Ugly, I'm very much live and let live when it comes to baby feeding choices and I have to say I find your position baffling. Most women who breastfeed do it discreetly. Sure there are going to be moments when the baby decides it wants a panoramic view of the surrounding scenery and you may catch a glimpse of nipple, but in the main it's just going to be a bit of boon you see - if that. There are numerous circumstances in which you're going to see that much boob in a day:

a) on the beach
b) in the swimming pool
c) in the swimming pool or gym changing room
d) walking down the street in summer (all those women in low cut strap vests)
e) in the pages of the Daily Mail (which will simultaneously be moaning about excessive exposure of flesh).

So I genuinely don't understand why you single out breastfeeding as a problem. If it the act of seeing the baby feed from the breast that really bothers you?

Not to provoke or cause a row here, but genuinely would like to hear more from posters who think it's "disgusting". Why? It's just drinking? Or am I missing something?

Sorry, loads of typos - boob, strappy, *is

YANBU. Although I would just carry on as normal rather than bringing dd just to show them if that is actually less convenient for you, iyswim. I might feel differently about being their friend now. There was a thread recently about views that make you go off someone, and this would be one for me.

I agree that drinking cows' milk (or goats' etc) is actually disgusting when you think about it, but I still do it. I bought a load of soya milk once but forgot to drink it.

Breastfeeding is clearly not disgusting - a baby having their dinner. Shock horror.

Some people do find watching others eating disgusting but I think that is recognised as a disorder/ phobia.

It annoys me how many people think you have your tits hanging out ffs. Once I got more confident with breastfeeding then I done it anywhere.. Bus stops, outside, parks, shopping centre etc. You really can't see anything (and so what if you can).

I only got one stupid comment which was from someone in my family "stop being so cruel, just give her a bottle"

Yet it's ok for women's boobs to be on show on the telly/magazines etc.

I guess it's the excreting fluid from body that people dislike.
Of course we all do lots of fluid excreting when we eat, and that's often a social shared occasion. The massive fluid excreting (saliva) is no more visible than breastfeeding.

Almost everything babies do is disgusting. So even if you find breastfeeding disgusting; well, babies are revolting, get over it. Fill their pants with faeces, burp loudly, fart loudly, drool, whine, vomit, snot noses, grubby fingers when feeding, honestly, right little mingers. Breastfeeding can't be any worse and probably hugely better than the rest.

I guess it's the excreting fluid from body that people dislike.

I wonder if these people also have aversions to sex? Especially oral sex?

Maybe that's why they have such twisted views that breast feeding is in some way sexual?

What else can be the reason for not being disgusted by the fact that babies have human milk, but being disgusted by the fact that it involves sucking on a nipple?!

It involves milking the mother, really, not sucking at all, which is kinda weird...but then being a living organism is pretty freaky.

All drinking involves ingesting fluids. And eating food that will be digested and turned into poo. It's all pretty primeval and animal - we grind food apart using rock-hard bone attachments, enabling that via a meat tentacle, before sending it all down into a pool of acid. It's pretty basic stuff.

Yet people worry about mammals using mammary glands to provide human babies with nutrition, reassurance, love and immune strength in the manner our species is named for... seemingly preferring the baby is given a plastic bottle filled with another mammal's rehydrated bodily fluids, at quite some expense and at considerable hassle, instead.

The selfishness of complaining about breastfed babies never fails to astonish me.

I would have said more To them tbh

It baffles me that some people will happily take their children to visit farms for a day out and watch cows being milked but then have an aversion to a baby breastfeeding. They also happily feed their children cows milk but think it is wrong for others to feed their babies human milk.
A woman's body is capable of producing milk for a reason. If we were not designed to breastfeed then we wouldn't produce milk after having a baby.
There is nothing sexual about breastfeeding and a woman should not have to hide away when she is breastfeeding as though she is doing something dirty or disgusting.
The change in law hadn't come about when my first two children were born and I often found myself trying to locate a feeding room when out and about with a hungry crying baby but now I am pregnant again I will feel better about breastfeeding in public knowing that breastfeeding in public is now protected by law.
Fuck anybody who thinks that the sight of the back of my baby's head and a tiny bit of boob flesh is disgusting.

Let's face it, the more mums who BF openly in public - the better, for everyone. i honestly can't remember how I felt about BF before I had my own babies when I was younger but my sister and sit had both done it so maybe that exposure helped.

Was in another country recently and a young local mum walked into where I was shopping with her baby in a front sling just openly and confidently feeding away with her boob out and getting on with her shopping. This should be ideal everywhere.

I shared this link a while back. It's a collection of historical BF photos. They are lovely.

www.facebook.com/PreciousFamilyForever/photos/a.185646821484736.46249.185640171485401/866886730027405/?type=1

They're childless - most of my childless friends think the same tbh. I wouldn't worry about it too much, if/when they have kids they will probably end up giving it a go like everybody else and then quitting like the majority do before 6 weeks.

Boobs are pretty much for looking good and being sexy things before kids come along.

Uh oh, how predictable. A thread with a title like that and all the anti breastfeeding fuckwits come out of the woodwork.

Honestly people, don't engage with this stupid shit! Come on.

Shite that is absolutely brilliant!

I'm with Bambambini (great UN). The more visible breast feeding goes on, the more it will become normalised. And those who have an issue will continue to have their views challenged.

Ugly, what exactly do you mean by cover? Because most women I know are infinitely more discreet with the 2 tops method than I've ever seen anyone with a designated breast feeding 'cover'.

My son hated his head being covered. I also had over supply issues, so i liked to be able to see him to check he wasn't choking to death! Being in possession of big boobs, I wasn't the most discreet of feeders either. I did try, but in the end I stopped worrying about it.

Occasionally, people probably got a flash of boob. But this was so far down my list of priorities compared to my son's happiness & comfort (not to mention my own).

People don't have to like it but the right to BF in public is protected by law so it's tough luck isn't it. I see things all the time I don't like and I look away or avoid them.

IMO the squeamishness over breastfeeding is childish. It's just a boob. Who knew boobs were so offensive?!

What you should do is bring DD along, remove her nappy, and then when the inevitable happens you say "see now, THAT'S like having a shit in the middle of a restaurant. Do you see the difference now?"

Not really, but in my head it was good....